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2 clusters · 4 sources · 6 days · First seen · Last updated
Research into retinal circuit and visual development
Overview
Scientific studies have identified various molecular and biological mechanisms governing retinal development and visual acuity.
Research involving mouse models has highlighted the role of Protocadherin 9 (Pcdh9), an autism-associated risk gene, in the survival of bipolar cells. Additionally, the cell-adhesion molecule LRFN2 was identified as a critical factor in stabilizing contacts within the retinal OFF pathway, which is essential for excitatory transmission and responses to visual stimuli.
In human development research, scientists at Johns Hopkins University used lab-grown retinal organoids to observe how high-resolution central vision forms. The study found that certain blue-light-sensitive cone cells undergo a transformation into red and green light-sensitive cells during fetal development. This process is driven by a dual-action mechanism involving retinoic acid and thyroid hormones, challenging long-held theories about how the fovea is established.
Entities
Johns Hopkins University · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Timeline
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[HEALTH] 2 sourcesJohns Hopkins researchers discover new mechanism for human visual acuity development
Johns Hopkins researchers found that blue-sensitive retinal cells transform into red and green cells during embryonic development, potentially offering new pathways to treat macular degeneration.
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[HEALTH] 2 sourcesMolecular mechanisms of retinal circuit development identified in mouse studies
Studies on mouse retinas reveal how molecules like Pcdh9 and LRFN2 regulate bipolar cell survival and synaptic connectivity, essential for establishing visual pathways and processing stimuli.
Sources
digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu · digitalcommons.wustl.edu · sana.sy · sarabic.ae